Dispenser with means to support and puncture a container



Oct. 4, 1966 o. OWENS ETAL DISPENSER WITH MEANS TO SUPPORT AND PUNCTURE A CONTAINER F iled Oct. 26, 1964 JNVEMTD Wa'e! Gwen's James li'fialdwun United States Patent Oflice 3,276,631 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 3,276,631 DISPENSER WITH MEANS TO SUPPORT AND PUNCTURE A CONTAINER Odell Owens, Rte. 2, Box 340, Clermont County, Ohio,

and James A. Baldwin, Schollmann Road, Warren County, Ohio Filed Oct. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 406,348 4 Claims. (Cl. 222+83.5)

The present invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing devices and is particularly directed to a device of this character adapted to dispense viscous liquids, such i sk motor oils presently packaged in sealed tin cans, or the An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simplified device having few moving parts which is reliable in construction and which may be safely used by an operator. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a can puncturing device for a' liquid dispenser having the foregoing characteristicsthat will upon entering a sealed can positively hold it in dispensing position within the dispenser until emptied of its contents.

The said and numerous other objectsv and advantages of our invention will be more fully understood from the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of our dispensing device.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, illustrating in dotted lines the full can puncturing position of the blade for the device.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

Our dispensing device is particularly adapted for use In connection with viscous liquids, such as automobile oils, that are packaged in sealedcans and poured therefrom into the crank case of an automobile.

The device as shown in the various views of the drawing comprises a hollow, can receiving and retaining body 6 made of thin metal stock and preferably having a cylindrical wall 7 adapted to snugly receive a sealed tin can 8 containing motor oil, or the like. The wall 7 has an open rear end 9, the edge thereof being turned outwardly to form a strengthening bead |10 thereon. The upper front end of the body 6 is closed by a crescentshaped wall 11 which is preferably secured to the forward edge of the body by an arcuate seam 12; the lower [front portion of the side wall 7 being provided with a cut-back portion 13 to provide a liquid discharge mouth 14 for the body at its lower front end portion.

A hollow, forwardly tapered spout 15, generally coneshaped in configuration, extends longitudinally from the front end of the body 6 and, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a major portion of the spout is disposed below the center line 16 of said body. This spout is constructed from thin metal stock and has a reduced, liquid discharge opening 17 at its forward end. The upper wall portion 18 of the spout is inclined downwardly from the wall \11 and forwardly of the body 6, while the bottom portion 19 of the spout wall extends upwardly with respect to the center line 16 and forwardlyof the .body 6; said bottom portion having the rear thereof joined to the front edge of the body formed by the cut-back portion by an upwardly curved portion 20. It will therefore be understood that the relationship of the body 6 and spout 15 is such that when the punctured dispenser is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, and/ or tilted upwardly so that the body is higher than the spout viscous liquid will flow freely from the mouth 14 of the body downwardly and forwardly to the discharge opening 17 in the spout.

The can opening mechanism is associated in a novel manner on the spout with respect to the cam holder and, as best shown in FIG. 4, laterally aligned bearing holes 21 and 22 are formed in opposed portions of the spout adjacent the body 6 and on a level with the lower portion of a can 8 that is held in the body 6'. An operating shaft 23 is rotatably mounted at its end portions in the said bearing holes and is held therein against axial movement by shoulders 2424 formed integral on the shaft. A manually depressiible lever 25 is integrally connected at right angles to one end of the shaft 23 beyond the bearing hole 21, the terminal end of the shaft being flattened to provide a good hand contacting sunface for lever operation. A punching blade 26 having rounded rear shoulders and of spear head configuration is normally positioned in the curved portion 20 of the spout subjacent the opening 14 in the body 6 and is connected to the shaft 23 by an L- shaped arm 27 to puncture the lower, forward wall portion and the end closure wall of the can 8 held in the body 6. To this end the arm 27 has a straight depending portion 28 fixed at its upper end to the central part of the shaft 23 and connected at its lower end to a circular portion 29 which carries the puncturing blade 26 at its free end, said circular portion having the axis of the shaft 23 as its center of curvature.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of our dispensing device will be understood by those skilled in the art, it being apparent that the dispenser could be made in various sizes to accommodate standard sized cans 8 and that to dispense viscous liquid from a sealed can, the can is moved axially into the body 6 until its forward end contacts the crescent shaped forward wall 11 of the body. The dispenser is then moved to a position where the discharge opening 17 of the spout is within the oil filling pipe of an automobile motor crank case and thereafter the lever 25 is manually depressed which actuates the blade 26 to pierce the side wall of the can 8 to form a puncture therein through which oil will flow down the curved portion 20 of the spout and out through the discharge opening 17 therein. It is to be noted with respect to the dotted lines in FIG. 3 of the drawing that the blade enters entirely through the side wall and through the end closure wall of the can when the opener has been moved to its full can puncturing position, the double piercing and puncturing action Of the blade being secured by the curvature of the arm 28 to provide an oil dispensing hole in the can side wall and a breather hole in the can end wall with one movement of the blade. Thus, the blade will effectively hold a can in dispensing position whilst the smooth contour of the blade will permit ready retraction of the cutter blade from the can after oil has been dispensed therefrom.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

1. A dispenser for liquids packaged in sealed cans comprising in combination: a hollow, can receiving body having a continuous wall open at its rear end for axial reception of a can; a crescent shaped wall partially closing the upper front end portion of a forward opening in the wall; a cut-back portion on the lower front .part of the wall to provide a liquid discharge mouth for the body; a hollow, forwardly tapering spout extending longitudinally from the front end of the body and having its major portion disposed below the center line of the body; said spout terminating at its forward end in a reduced, liquid discharge opening and having its upper wall portion inclined downwardly from said crescent shaped wall and forwardly with respect to said body and with its upper rear edge joined to the bottom edge of the crescent shaped wall; the bottom portion of said spout having its rear edge joined to the lower front edge of the body that is formed by the cut-back portion and extending downwardly and then upwardly from the cut-back portion; laterally aligned bearing holes formed in opposed portions of the spout adjacent the body; an operating shaft rotatably mounted at its end portions in the bearing holes; a manually depressible lever tfonmed integral on one end of the shaft outside a bearing hole; a punching blade normally positioned in the spout adjacent the mouth in the 'body; a downwardly extending arm portion connected to the central part of the shaft; and a circular arm portion connected to the blade and to the lower end of the downwardly extending arm portion.

2. A dispenser for liquids packaged in sealed cans comprising in combination: a hollow, can receiving body having a cylindrical wall open at its rear end for axial reception of a can; a crescent shaped wall closing the upper front end portion of the forward opening in the wall; a cut-back portion on the lower front part of the wall to provide a liquid discharge mouth for the body; a hollow, generally cone-shaped spout extending longitudinally from the front end of the body and having its major portion disposed below the center line of the body; said spout terminating at its forward end in a reduced, liquid discharge opening and having its upper side wall portion inclined downwardly from said crescent shaped wall and forwardly with respect to said body with its rear edge joined to the bottom edge of the crescent shaped wall; the bottom portion of said spout having its rear edge joined to the lower front edge of the body that is formed by the cut-back portion and extending downwardly and then upwardly from the cut-back portion; laterally aligned bearing holes formed in opposed side portions of the spout adjacent the body and on a level with the lower portion of a can held in the body; an operating shaft rotatably mounted at its end portions in the bearing holes; a manually depressible lever formed integral on one end of the shaft outside a bearing hole; a punching blade normally positioned in the spout adjacent the mouth in the body and adapted to puncture the lower, forward wall portion and the end wall of a can held in the body; and an L-shaped arm connecting the blade and the central 1 part of the said shaft; said arm having a circular portion that has the axis of the bearing holes as its center of curvature.

3. In a dispenser for liquids packaged in sealed cans as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the fact that the punching blade has a spear head configuration with rounded rear shoulders, said blade being entered through the side wall of a can and the can end wall.

4. A dispenser for liquids packaged in sealed cans comprising in combination; a hollow body having an open rear end for receiving a can theret-hrough; said body having a liquid discharge opening formed in the front lower end thereof; a hollow spout secured to and extending longitudinally from the front end of the body and having its major portion disposed below the center line of said body; the rear bottom portion of the spout located beneath the liquid discharge opening in the body; laterally aligned bearing holes formed in opposed side portions of the spout adjacent the body and on a level with the discharge opening in the body; an operating shaft rotatably mounted at its end portions in the bearing holes; a manually depressible lever fixed on one end of the shaft outside a bearing hole, a punching blade normally positioned in the spout subjacent the discharge mouth in the body and beneath the lower forward side wall portion of a can held in the body, and an L-shaped arrn connecting the blade and the central part of the operating shaft; said arm having a depending portion connected to the shaft and a circular portion having the axis of the bearing holes as its center of curvature.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 383,370 5/1888 Rau 222-566 X 2,051,055 8/ 1936 Nicholls 22283.5 2,603,385 7/1952 Toth 222-83.5 2,788,917 4/1957 Cool 22283.5

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

4. A DISPENSER FOR LIQUIDS PACKAGED IN SEALED CANS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN OPEN REAR END FOR RECEIVING A CAN THERETHROUGH; SAID BODY HAVING A LIQUID DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN THE FRONT LOWER END THEREOF; A HOLLOW SPOUT SECURED TO AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE FRONT END OF THE BODY AND HAVING ITS MAJOR PORTION DISPOSED BELOW THE CENTER LINE OF SAID BODY; THE REAR BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SPOUT LOCATED BENEATH THE LIQUID DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE BODY; LATERALLY ALIGNED BEARING HOLES FORMED IN OPPOSED SIDE PORTIONS OF THE SPOUT ADJACENT THE BODY AND ON A LEVEL WITH THE DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE BODY; AN OPERATING SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT ITS END PORTIONS IN THE BEARING HOLES; A MANUALLY DEPRESSIBLE LEVER FIXED ON ONE END OF THE SHAFT OUTSIDE A BEARING HOLE, A PUNCHING BLADE NORMALLY POSITIONED IN THE SPOUT SUBJACENT THE DISCHARGE MOUTH IN THE BODY AND BENEATH THE LOWER FORWARD SIDE WALL PORTION OF A CAN HELD IN THE BODY, AND AN L-SHAPED ARM CONNECTING THE BLADE AND THE CENTRAL PART OF THE OPERATING SHAFT; SAID ARM HAVING A DEPENDING PORTION CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT AND A CIRCULAR PORTION HAVING THE AXIS OF THE BEARING HOLES AS ITS CENTER OF CURVATURE. 